The Baltimore Orioles Find Their Ace
The Baltimore Orioles finished their amazing 2023 season with a record of 101–61. They still have a relatively young squad, so they could only go up from there. All they needed was an ace for their pitching squad and now they have one.
The Milwaukee Brewers traded star pitcher Corbin Burned to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for rookie infielder Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher DL Hall and the 34th pick in this year’s draft.
The Orioles were looking for that true ace for a while and now they finally have one. With a superstar pitcher like Corbin Burnes on the squad, the Os have the potential to win a World Series championship in the next couple of years.
Although the Brewers got a solid return, it could have been better considering that Burnes is a top 15 starter in the league and has a CY Young award under his belt.
DL Hall was a highly ranked prospect going into the 2017 draft, where he was picked 21st by the Orioles in the first round. Since then, he has been in the top 100 prospects list from 2019 to 2023. He’s known for his elite pitching arsenal, with a fastball that can reach 95.6mph. He also has a wicked slider that works well against lefties.
DL Hall has been compared to 5-time all-star and 3-time reliever of the year award winner, Josh Hader when it comes to potential. With that in mind, the Brewers could have finally found a replacement for Josh Hader, who was traded from the Brewers to the Padres two years prior.
DL Hall could be a nightmare for hitters to face for years to come. He just needs to work on his command.
Joey Ortiz was also a highly ranked prospect in the Orioles system, he is known for his gold glove caliber defense and his speed. Standing at 5 foot 9 inches, he’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he has range and a powerful arm. He potentially could be the starting shortstop for a playoff team.
Ortiz has shown some solid hitting skills, but nothing particularly noteworthy. He has a hard hit rate of 46 percent, which is above average for MLB standards. But his lack of plate discipline makes him a streaky hitter. If Ortiz could stop chasing pitches outside of the zone, he could become a well-rounded player and the future shortstop for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee also got the 34 pick in the 2024 draft in this trade. Until this player gets drafted, there isn’t anything to say about this part of the trade.
Overall, both teams have significantly improved in this trade. Baltimore finally got their ace, which could be the missing piece that this playoff bound team needed. And the Brewers are starting a partial rebuild. Their first two prospects have high ceilings that could benefit them in future playoff appearances.
